Effect of early exposure to cow's milk protein on the occurrence of allergic diseases: an integrative literature review

Abstract

This integrative study analyzed the impact of early exposure to cow's milk protein on the incidence of allergic diseases in patients up to 12 months of age, with the aim of broadening our understanding of the contributing factors in the development of cow's milk protein allergy (CMLA), using the integrative literature review methodology to select the articles. The bibliographic search was conducted in two databases, ScienceDirect and Scielo, using the following keywords: "milk protein", "milk protein", "milk protein allergy", "allergen milk protein", "early exposure" and "APLV", using Boolean operators and quotation marks, initially totaling 460,849 views, finally obtaining five selected articles. Analysis of the identified studies revealed a prevalence of patients, mostly male, exposed early to milk protein, with significantly varied symptoms among affected individuals such as vomiting/regurgitation, bloody diarrhea, growth failure and colic, highlighting the clinical complexity associated with APLV. There is a direct association between early exposure to cow's milk protein, particularly through the use of baby bottles, and the subsequent development of APLV. In addition, statistical studies have revealed significant correlations between the use of antibiotics during pregnancy and the duration of breastfeeding with the onset of this condition. In the context of treating APLV, the total exclusion of milk protein, together with the prescription and careful monitoring of specific formulas, are widely adopted therapeutic measures. Thus, these findings underline the pressing need for specific therapeutic interventions to address the complexity inherent in this allergic condition.